Bradfield City: Australia’s First New City in 100 Years

American studio SOM and Sydney’s Hassell have unveiled Bradfield City, a 114-hectare development west of Sydney featuring 10,000 homes, a university, and a central park.

Bradfield City will rise beside the newly opened Western Sydney International Airport, roughly 50 kilometres from Sydney’s CBD. SOM calls it “Sydney’s new urban heart,” and says it could become Australia’s first major city built in more than a century.

At the centre of the development lies the First Land Release, or Superlot 1, a 5.7-hectare site described by SOM as the city’s “civic heart.”

It will be the first stage of construction, with 1,400 homes alongside a university, offices, shops, a hotel, and public spaces. The development will be connected to the wider city by a 2.2-kilometre Green Loop and four civic centres.

Senior principal at SOM Michael Powell said: “To design a new city is both a rare opportunity and a profound responsibility. Bradfield City is a chance to shape a vision with Country and community, embedding resilience, sustainability, and innovation into every layer of the city.”

Cultural partners Djinjama and COLA Studio worked with the architects to ensure the city reflects indigenous connections to the country.

The studios have designed the city to reflect local ecosystems and Indigenous connections to the land, combining housing and infrastructure with green spaces.

Renderings of Superlot 1 show high-rise buildings along tree-lined streets, set among expansive green spaces. A timber pavilion will provide a gathering space for residents, with an interlocking timber structure and woven canopy.

SOM said the pavilion draws on the Aboriginal principle of “enoughness,” taking only what is needed, and uses low-carbon, high-performance materials.

Sustainability features throughout the city will include green roofs, solar panels, and passive design solutions to reduce energy use.

 Kevin Lloyd from Hassell said the goal was to “create a precinct where nature and urban life are intertwined, ensuring Bradfield City feels welcoming, sustainable and uniquely its place.”

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The project is being delivered by developer Plenary and has received more than $1 billion in public investment. Construction on the first stage is expected to begin within five years.

Bradfield City joins a growing list of ambitious Australian projects, including Cox Architecture and Hassell’s Brisbane Olympic Stadium for the 2032 Games, and RSHP’s Barangaroo South masterplan in Sydney.

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